Table lamp construction



Dec. 5, 1961 J. WORTH TABLE LAMP CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 22, 1958 INVENTOR. JOSEPH WORTH.

ATTORNEK United States Patent 3,012,134 TABLE LAMP CONSTRUCTION Joseph Worth, 55 W. Montrose Ave. 8., South Orange, NJ. Filed Sept. 22, 1958, Ser. No. 762,581 6 Claims. (Cl. 24052.6)

This invention relates to lamps and, more particularly, to lamps of the vase type.

The bottom of a vase, from which a lamp is to be made, is seldom straight and truly flat and perpendicular to the vertical axis of the vase. Because of such uneven bottoms and of the generally universal provision of enlarged central openings through the bottoms of such vases, and also because the conduit tube for the electric wire is frequently bent, such vases often become displaced from a proper centered position upon the supporting platform or support, and cause the fittings and other parts of the lamp to become loose. In order to reposition the vase on the platform, it was generally necessary to disassemble the entire lamp. This is not only an inconvenience, but often causes damage to one or more of the lamp parts, sometimes requires special tools or equipment, and can twist the electrical supply line running through the base, or damage the vase itself if not properly handled. It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an adjustable coupling for use with such lamps that is extremely simple in construction, efficient in operation, and which will overcome the aformentioned difficulties.

Another object of the present invention is to provide in a fragile vase type lamp, a self-contained and built-in adjustable coupling for selectively tightening and loosening the parts in a simple and efficient manner without requiring partial disassembly of other portions of the lamp structure.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a lamp of the type described, in which the coupling is unobtrusive, blends with the other lamp parts, and which does not detract from the over-all appearance of the lamp.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a coupling of the above type, that can be used in the manufacture of lamps to compensate for the general variations in the height of vases and other parts.

Another object of the present invention is to avoid dependence upon the lamp socket as an abutment against which to tighten the vase assembly but instead, to maintain both ends of the conduit tube rigidly assembled to the support and to the socket respectively, and to allow the vase to float and to be tightened with the coupling when adjusted independently of either end of the tube, intermediate the bottom support and the diaphragm check ring on the top of the vase, thus to prevent breakage of a fragile vase while being handled or in shipment, due to strains from being tightened too much.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view, with parts broken away, of a lamp embodying an adjustable coupling made in accordance with one form of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view, partly in section, of certain parts of the assembly shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view, partly broken away, of a sleeve member forming a part of the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. l and 2.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2, of a modified form of construction.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4, showing the parts in an adjusted position.

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 3, showing a sleeve member forming a part of the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5.

Referring now to the drawing, and more particularly to FIGS. 1 to 3 thereof, a lamp 10 made in accordance with one form of the present invention is shown to include a vase 12 having an enlarged opening 13 in the bottom thereof, and which is supported upon a platform 14. The upper surface of the platform 14 is provided with a central opening 15 through which one threaded end 17 of an elongated tube 18 extends. The bottom surface of the platform 14 is provided with a pad 16 of felt, or the like, to prevent damage to the surface upon which the lamp is supported. The lower threaded end 17 of the tube 18 is usually provided with an integral bead or stop member 19 which limits downward movement thereof through the hole 15 in the platform, while a washer 20 serves to clamp the platform 14 in response to tightening of an associated nut 21, whereby the tube 18 is substantially rigidly secured to the platform in an upright position. The electrical supply line 23 extends through an opening 22 in the side of the platform 14 and upwardly through the interior of the tube 18 for connection to an electrical socket fixture (not shown) that is releasably attached to the fitting, such as the socket cap 28 secured to the upper end of the tube 18.

The upper end of the tube 18 is also provided with a threaded section 25 (FIG. 2), upon which a stop nut 29 is adjustably engaged. A lampshade harp clamp 27, of conventional construction, is clamped between the stop nut 29 and the fitting 23 which is also threadedly secured to the threaded section 25 at the upper end of the tube. A vase cap or diaphragm check ring 24 supported upon the upper end of the vase 12 serves as a resilient abutment against which, one end of an adjustable coupling made in accordance with the present invention reacts, while the upper end of such adjustable coupling acts through an adjacent part of the upper end of the tube 18.

Referring now more specifically to FIG 2 of the drawing, an adjustable coupling 30 made in accordance with one form of the present invention is shown to include a collar member 31 which slidably and rotatably receives the tube 18 therethrough and is slidably and rotatably supported upon the upper surface of the vase cap 24. This collar 31 is also provided with internal threads 32 which threadedly engage with an externally threaded portion 38 of an associated sleeve member 37 and provide a mechanical advantage in tightening the vase, as will be more fully described. This sleeve member 37 also has a central longitudinal bore 40 which slidably and rotatably receives the tube :18. One outer end of the sleeve member 37 is in abutment with the stop nut 29 of the lamp mounting, while the opposite end thereof, containing the threaded portion 38, is telescopically received within and in threaded engagement with the collar member 31. It will thus be recognized that relative rotation between the sleeve and collar members is operative to effect longitudinal adjustment thereof to further effect relative longitudinal movement between the vase and the lamp mounting parts. A knurled portion 42 on the sleeve member 37 may be used to manually effect this relative rotation between the sleeve and collar members.

With reference now to FIGS. 4 through 6 of the drawing, a modified form of coupling construction 45 is shown wherein the sleeve member 46, in addition to the external threads 47 at the inner end of the sleeve member 46, is provided with internal threads 49 at the opposite end thereof, adjacent to the knurled portion 50. As a result, the internally threaded portion 49 of the sleeve member 46 may be threadedly engaged with the threads 25 at the upper end of the tube 18, in the manner shown in FIG; 4 of the drawing, so that it is virtually locked in place upon the tube 18. It is then only necessary to rotate the collar. member 31 in either direction to effect longitudinal movement between the tube 18 and the vase 12 during the assembly or disassembly of the parts.

The coupling 45 may also be used in another manner. With specific reference now to FIG. 5 of the drawing, it will be noted that the one outer end of the sleeve member 46 is threadedly engaged with the threaded portion 25 of the tube 18 in spaced relationship with the stop nut 29. Also, the pitch of the internal thread 32 of the collar member 31 and the external thread 47 of the sleeve member 46 is different from the pitch of the shaft thread 25 and cooperating internal sleeve thread 49, whereby a differential thread type action is obtained in response to relative rotation between the sleeve member 46 and collar member 41. As a result, rotation of either one of the sleeve or collar members out of the position illustrated in FIG. 5, is operative to cause longitudinal movement of the sleeve member 46 relative to the collar member 31 at a different rate than the longitudinal movement of the sleeve member 46 relative to the tube '18. While all of these threads are of the same hand, the sleeve member 46 tends to exert a moving force upon the tube 18 in one direction opposite to the direction .in which the collar member 31 exerts a similar moving force with respect to the vase bottom 12 or cap 24.

It will now be recognized that should the vase 12 become displaced from a centered position upon the platform 14, it is only necessary to first effect relative rotation between the sleeve and collar members to loosen the parts, move the lamp base to a centered position, and then effect rotation of the sleeve and collar members in opposite direction to clamp the vase 12 between the supporting platform 14 and the upper end of the tube 18, in a coaxial position. All of this can effectively be accomplished Without removing any of the lamp parts, disturbing the pad 16 at the bottom of the platform 14, or twisting the electrical supply 'wires 22 extending through the shaft 18 and the coupling.

While this invention has been described with particular reference to the construction shown in the drawing, it is to be understood that such is not to be construed as imparting limitations upon the invention, which is best defined by the claims appended hereto.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a vase lamp having a tube extending freely through the vase and having one end anchored to a supporting platform with the opposite end thereof secured to a lamp mounting, an adjustable coupling carried upon said tube intermediate said vase and said mounting and comprising, in combination, a first collar member supported upon the upper end of said vase adjacent to said mounting, a second sleeve 'member supported between said first member and said mounting, and mechanical advantage means acting between said first and second members for exerting equal and opposite forces between said vase and said tube.

2. In a vase lamp having a platform for supporting one end of a vase, a cap on the opposite end of said vase, a hollow tube extending freely longitudinally through said vase and vase cap and having one of its ends anchored to said platform, a lamp mounting secured to the opposite end of said tube adjacent to the opposite end of said vase, an adjustable coupling acting between said cap on the opposite end of said vase and said tube, clamping said vase and cap between said platform and said opposite end of said tube, said adjustable coupling comprising a collar member having an internal thread, said collar member being in abutment with said cap on the opposite end of said vase and rotatably and slidably receiving said opposite end of said tube therethrough, and a sleeve member in abutment at one end with said lamp mounting, the opposite end of said sleeve member being threadedly engaged within said collar member, whereby relative rotation between said sleeve member and said collar member is operative to effect relative separating and longitudinal movement between said tube and said vase.

3. In a lamp as set forth in claim 2, wherein said sleeve member slidably and rotatably receives said tube therethrough.

4. In a lamp as set forth in claim 3, wherein said sleeve member is in free sliding engagement with said lamp mounting.

5. In a lamp as set fonth in claim 2, wherein said sleeve member includes an internal thread which is threadedly engaged with said opposite end of said tube.

6. A lamp as set forth in claim 5, wherein said internal thread of said sleeve member is of different pitch from the pitch of the internal thread of said collar member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,032,119 Dalzell et al. July 9, 1912 r 2,204,986 Gould June 18, 1940 2,257,778 Berger Oct. 7, 194] FOREIGN PATENTS 831,057 Germany Feb. 11, 1952 

